“C” Backgammon Terms

A win from the seemingly unwinnable position in which your opponent has borne off twelve checkers and has just three checkers remaining on his two-point. You bravely maintain contact with a single checker on his one-point and deploy your other fourteen checkers where they can contain his checkers if you are able to hit one or, preferably, two of them. Winning a coup classique is especially satisfying for you and maddening for your opponent.

To add a second checker to a blot, thereby making the point.

Cubeless probability of winning.

Having little or no mobility.

The first game in a match after either player comes to within one point (4) of winning. The rules of match play say that the doubling cube may not be used during the Crawford game.  See: Crawford Rule.

[Named for John R. Crawford.]  A standard rule of match play. When the leading player comes within one point (4) of winning the match, the following game is played without a doubling cube. This one game without doubling is called the Crawford Game. After the Crawford game, the doubling cube is back in play again. See posts by: Chuck Bower, Kit Woolsey, and Walter Trice.

In a chouette, members of the team who play with the captain against the box.

The movement of a checker from one quadrant of the board to an adjacent quadrant.

The total number of crossovers needed to get all your checkers home and then borne off.

The forced evacuation of desirable points (2) due to the lack of alternate plays; in particular, a position in which you are forced to bury checkers deep within your home board.

A position which has collapsed, with several checkers being forced to the low points (1) in the player's home board while other checkers remain in the opponent's territory.

A priming game in which one side is about to collapse, but has not done so yet.

[Noun.]  Doubling cube.

[Verb.]  To offer a double.

All of the cube decisions associated with a given position, namely: (a) whether the player on roll should double, and (b) whether his opponent should accept the double, refuse the double, or possibly beaver.

The choice of whether or not to offer a double, or the choice of whether to accept, or refuse a double that has been offered.

The art or skill of making cube decisions.

See: Centered Cube.

Which player has the right to make the next double. At the start of the game, the cube is in the middle and either player may double. After one player accepts another's double, he owns the cube, and only that player may make the next double.

The act of offering a double, or the act of accepting or refusing the opponent's double.

The art or skill of making cube decisions.  Compare: Checker Play (2).

An error in checker play that induces the opponent to double on his turn. The ploy could be intentional, an attempt to get the opponent to double too early, but the term "cube provocation play" is often used mockingly to refer to an obvious error.   See:  Danny Kleinman (1980) "Cube Provocation Play".

A correct checker play that leads the opponent to correctly double when at least one other play is available after which the opponent would be wrong to double. This can happen if the better play produces a more volatile position -- the opponent is forced to double because he has too many market losers. Examples are Wisecarver Paradox positions.